Fire separation
Attached dwellings require careful detailing at separating walls. Floor systems must be considered in relation to wall continuity, joist direction and the required fire separation between dwellings.
Wesbeam | Your Smarter Townhouse Building Partner
Engineered Solutions for Modern Townhouse Construction
Wesbeam’s Structural Engineering + Design Division and our Business Development Managers in each State works with you from day one to solve problems and find cost-saving opportunities before you're even on site. Resulting in less rework, faster builds, and better margins.
Townhouse construction presents a unique set of design challenges. Narrow lots, repeatable layouts, fire separation, acoustic performance, service integration and construction sequencing all need to work together from the earliest stages of design.
Wesbeam’s Townhouse Floor Design Guide help project teams make better decisions before construction begins. By combining our Australian-made e-joist and LVL products with the expertise of our Structural Engineer + Design Division, we help builders and designers select the right product, optimise the floor system and resolve critical detailing around separating walls, services, load paths and buildability.
Designed for the realities of townhouse construction.
A floor system that works on paper still needs to be practical to build on site, simple to coordinate with other trades and detailed correctly around fire and acoustic requirements.
Wesbeam supports townhouse floor design with practical guidance, span tables, service-hole information and common construction details developed specifically for e-joist floor systems. Our approach helps project teams understand where e-joist is most effective, where e-beam may be required and how the floor system can be designed to support the broader structure.
Why townhouse floor systems need early design thinking
The best floor system is not only compliant; it is also practical to install. Wesbeam helps resolve common issues such as joist-to-beam connections, wet area set-downs, stair openings, rim boards, edge blocking and floor-to-wall interfaces and more. In townhouse construction, e-joist provides a lightweight, straight and consistent floor member that supports efficient spans, easier handling and practical installation.
Acoustic performance
Townhouse floor systems need to manage the way sound can move through connected building elements. Joist discontinuity, floor-to-wall junctions and service penetrations all need to be detailed with acoustic performance in mind.
Service integration
Townhouse designs often involve compact service zones. e-joist systems can support practical service integration when penetrations are planned and installed in accordance with Wesbeam guidance.
Narrow lot efficiency
Townhouse layouts often require long, efficient spans within constrained footprints. Wesbeam can assess joist depth, flange width, spacing and span configuration to help achieve the right balance between performance, cost and buildability.
Common design considerations Wesbeam can help resolve
Joist direction
Poor joist direction can create unnecessary complexity, increase steel requirements and make services more difficult to coordinate. Wesbeam can help review joist layout options early to support a more efficient structural solution.
Separating wall details
Wesbeam can provide guidance on common e-joist configurations at separating walls, including where joists run parallel or perpendicular to the wall and where wall continuity affects the required detail.
Load paths
Townhouse floor systems need clear, practical load paths from roof to wall to floor. Wesbeam can help identify where support is required and where e-beam or other LVL members may be needed to manage load transfer.
Services and penetrations
Service coordination is critical in townhouse construction. Wesbeam’s e-joist guidance supports project teams with service hole information and penetration rules to help reduce clashes and protect structural performance.
Wet areas and set-downs
Bathrooms, laundries and wet areas often require additional detailing. Wesbeam can assist with practical floor design considerations around set-downs, load support and coordination with the broader floor system.
Stair openings and voids
Townhouse designs often include stairs, voids and large openings. Wesbeam can help detail trimmers, beams and supporting members to maintain structural performance and buildability.
The Wesbeam Townhouse Floor Design Guide provides practical information for designing and detailing e-joist floor systems in attached residential projects. It includes guidance on:
NCC Class 1a townhouse considerations
Wet area set-downs
Stair and large opening details
Fire separation and acoustic detailing
Rim board and edge blocking details
Joist discontinuity at separating walls
Common e-joist configurations
Service penetration guidelines
Floor-to-wall junctions
Span tables and design criteria
Joist-to-beam connections
Design and span optimisation
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Our Knowledge Series: Adding value for townhouse builders
The Right Product for the Right Townhouse Floor
e-joist
Best suited to efficient townhouse floor systems where lightweight construction, straightness, span capability and service integration are important.
e-beam
Used where additional strength, concentrated load support, floor-to-wall interfaces, openings, trimmers, rim boards or load transfer requirements need a solid LVL member.
e-beam and e-joist together
Many townhouse floor systems use e-joist and e-beam together as part of a complete structural approach. This allows the floor system to be designed around the specific layout, loads, wall positions and build sequence of the project.
